Falling for the Charms of ‘Dancing Machine’ Gang Dong Won, ‘Absolute Charm’ Park Ji Hyun, and ‘Storm Rapper’ Um Tae Goo! [Review]

From the second half of 2024 to the first half of 2025, while rookie “5th generation idols” are captivating fans with 2000s K-pop vibes, the cinema is following suit. Enter the movie ‘Wild Thing,’ opening on June 3.

‘Wild Thing’ focuses on ‘Triangle,’ a three-member co-ed dance group that once dominated the music scene but disbanded overnight due to an unexpected incident. The story kicks off 20 years later when the leader, Hyun Woo, receives a performance offer that could be his ticket back to the top. The plot unfolds as members with different secrets reunite: Hyun Woo (played by Gang Dong Won), now a struggling broadcaster; Do Mi (played by Park Ji Hyun), who became a daughter-in-law of a chaebol family; and Sang Goo (played by Um Tae Goo), who is buried in debt after a failed solo album.

‘Wild Thing’ isn’t just about an idol reunion; it brings the entire vibe of the first-generation co-ed groups that sparked the ‘Hallyu wave’ in China and Japan from the 1990s to the 2000s. The romance and freshness of an era when people waved giant balloons and listened to songs until their cassette tapes stretched flow throughout the film, powerfully triggering nostalgia for those who lived through those times.

The biggest highlight and driving force of the movie is undoubtedly the charming ensemble created by the three leads. As their nicknames suggest—’Dancing Machine’ Gang Dong Won, ‘Absolute Charm’ Park Ji Hyun, and ‘Storm Rapper’ Um Tae Goo—the three actors effortlessly pull off the specific positions and characters of a first-generation idol group.

Gang Dong Won plays Hyun Woo, the leader and dancing machine of Triangle. Having appeared in heavy-hitting works like ‘Uprising,’ ‘Cheon Baksa’s Exorcism Office,’ and ‘Broker,’ seeing him do headspins and strike end-of-the-century idol poses is enough to get the theater buzzing.

Gang Dong Won’s comedic instincts, which seem like a mix of the slyness in ‘Confidential Assignment’ and the playfulness of ‘Jeon Woo Chi,’ truly explode in this role. He simultaneously portrays two different eras of one man: his current life as a struggling broadcaster and his past where he only felt alive on stage.

Park Ji Hyun takes on the role of the center, Do Mi. After winning Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for ‘Hidden Face’ and being nominated for the Baeksang Arts Awards for ‘Eunjung and Sangyeon,’ ‘Wild Thing’ asks her to show a side she’s never displayed before. She had to pack bubbly stage presence, off-stage girl crush energy, and the elegance of a chaebol daughter-in-law into one person, and Park Ji Hyun nails it. This movie proves that a sharp comedic sense is hidden within her milky, refreshing image.

Um Tae Goo plays Sang Goo, the youngest member and rapper. The charisma he built in ‘Night in Paradise,’ ‘The Great Battle,’ and ‘A Taxi Driver’ explodes in a completely different direction here. He dreamed of being a swag-filled hip-hop warrior, but in reality, he’s an insurance agent. The laughter coming from that gap is both serious and pitiful. Um Tae Goo’s comedic portrayal of the ‘maknae’s’ grievances is the funniest yet most pathetic among the three.

The ‘Triangle’ ensemble created by these three firmly anchors the plot and pushes the immersion to its peak.

Adding to the excitement is a special appearance by Shin Ha Kyun. He plays CEO Park of ‘Yonggu Records,’ the agency that raised Triangle before disappearing overnight. The two actors, who showed legendary chemistry in ‘Extreme Job’ alongside Oh Jung Se, are in the same space again, which alone raises expectations.

Oh Jung Se transforms into Choi Sung Gon, a traditional ballad singer rarely seen in today’s music industry, playing the role of a ‘ear-boyfriend.’ Oh Jung Se turns the sorrow of a ballad singer gradually disappearing from the stage, overshadowed by flashy dance idols, into a salty yet pleasant laugh. His struggle and behind-the-scenes tears serve as a great catalyst, once again stimulating the memories of those who remember the diverse ecosystem of the music industry in the late 1990s.

This concept works because it aligns with current trends. Groups like NewJeans have opened the ears of all generations by reinterpreting the vibes of first-generation idols, and rising stars like Cortis are capturing domestic and international fans with music and music videos that reinterpret the fashion and sensibilities of that time. ‘Wild Thing’ is a movie that rides this wave. It’s a structure where the passion already ignited outside the screen is amplified inside it. Rather than just a simple entertainment movie, it’s a summer film cleverly equipped with a device for empathy that crosses generations.

Thanks to this, the movie offers deep nostalgia to the 30s and 40s generation who experienced first-generation idols firsthand, and fresh curiosity and retro interest to the 10s and 20s generation who only encountered that era through text and short-form content. It holds value as a great entertainment movie where parents and children can sit side-by-side in the theater, laugh, empathize, and achieve pleasant intergenerational communication.

While it might not be a flawless masterpiece in terms of narrative precision or artistic depth, it radiates enough charm that even predictable clichés feel welcome. For its 107-minute runtime, it focuses on letting you let go of complex thoughts and simply laugh and enjoy. And it achieves that goal brilliantly.

The cheerful music lingering in the ears and the satisfied smiles on the faces of the audience leaving the theater are the most certain virtues of this film. At the intersection where the nostalgia of first-generation idols meets today’s trendiest retro sensibilities, Gang Dong Won, Park Ji Hyun, Um Tae Goo, Oh Jung Se, and Shin Ha Kyun deliver laughter in their own ways. In the cool air of a summer cinema, that’s more than enough. Rated 12+.